E-Bay

Dear Blog,

    Wednesday:- I had a pleasant 8 mile trudge from home to the athletics’ track at Warwick University. The clubhouse was open for sweets and drinks for the school children taking part in the Coventry Schools Athletic Championships; it was the relay championships. Because the undergraduates were sitting examinations in the sports hall adjacent to the track, a gun could not be fired to start the races for fear of disturbing the students, so the school teacher had to use a clapper!!

Thursday:- As the day wore on, I became increasingly aware of my back……… Agony!!!! By teatime, I could hardly move. EEEEEEEEEEEXXXXXXXXXXXXcruciatinggggggggg; Blog I kid you not. Walking was painful with a capital ‘P’. No way could I trudge, no way at all. And what was the cause of my discomfort??????????? Blog, you tell me because I haven’t a clue. A clue I have not. Trying to sit, trying to get out of a chair, trying to lie down in bed, trying to get up out of bed, trying to sleep and Friday was a repeat!! Two days off trudging, please forgive me Lord but a miracle was not forth coming. How’s about one today, please???????? So I am sat here writing to you Blog. It could be a long letter …… a very long letter ….. a very long letter indeed, ‘cos I ain’t not going anywhere fast, and I ain’t going anywhere slow either!

Sooossssss

I do like to offer you a challenge with my little photo quizzes, don’t I Blog. But the last  photo caused me some heart ache. Blog, I kid you not. I do need your help. Seriously. Your help is needed. I have mentioned to you often enough that I spend some time unearthing the History of Coventry Godiva Harriers and other Athletic Activity in the City of Coventry ……………… well the photo I sent you yesterday is posing a big problem for me.

 To remind you Blog …………….the club was founded in 1879, one of the oldest clubs in the world, never mind England. When I started there was very little information about the club for two very good reasons.

Firstly:- until 1984 we had no permanent headquarters, all records, minutes, club information etc. being kept by the various officials at their own homes. When they died the relatives, not appreciating the importance of all the documents, quite naturally threw everything away!!!

Secondly:- When the club centenary was approaching in 1979, an attempt was made to write a history of the club. Different people were approached to undertake the task, local journalists etc.. The person who showed the most interest was Colin Smith of Mantec Publications, Rugby. Much material was collected and sent to him. Then a series of incidents    ..... the club was organising the national marathon championships for 1979 as part of the club celebrations, Godiva being a club with a reputation for marathon running and for supplying more Olympic marathon runners than any other athletic club in G.B.. Whilst helping to measure the course, one of the two officials charged with organising the writing of the club history was tragically killed whilst out measuring the actual course. In the meantime, Colin Smith contacted the club secretary to say that all the material he had been given should be returned to the club as he was no longer able to undertake the task. The secretary with all the sudden extra work burden caused by the accident never answered his letter, and most of the material went astray. Despite a great deal of time and effort, I have been unable to find Colin Smith, any trace of him or his company. Part of the memorabilia sent to Colin Smith was a set of photograph albums. One of our old members took / collected photographs of all sports, which he meticulously labelled and kept in a series of albums ... luckily I have located all post 1938 albums. He had one son, again I have failed to find his whereabouts, or if he is still alive; the photographer died in his late 80s so his son must be at least that now, if still living. Now Blog, and this is where I need any expertise you can offer. Since October, a series of pre 1938 photos have been offered for sale on e-bay by three different sellers. The photos have come from one of the earlier missing albums. The hand writing, style of recording, use of pencil all are identical to the details on the photos the club has. Now, because so many artefacts went astray, I tried to enlist the help of the sellers to tell me from whom they bought the photos so I might contact the person concerned to see if they also have the club bugle (from 1880), the club oak shield (from 1961),  any early minutes (I have the first set 1879 to 1882), any early membership forms (I have 1889 to 1912), any other photos, particularly of the walkers and the cyclists or any other relevant material. There was one initial response, but then nothing. No help. Zilch!! So thankyou and ta very much. Of course my assumption is that the photos came from the missing albums, the content of which would be so useful to me in my History.

As I have said before to you Blog, THERE YOU HAVE IT! What to do is the question. Any thoughts??? [The photo in the quiz is from one of the albums]

I will detail my next plea for help from you when I have tried to exercise my back …… listen for the screams of pain when I try to dechair!

                          Colin